Tripping Over the Moon
by rebelxxwaltz
Summary: Full moons draw out the lunatics and may cause intermittent insanity. ""It's funny, Mazaki. I thought you and the shrimp were somewhat of an item. Why wasn't he the one rescuing you tonight?" Yes, it's Seto x Anzu. Reviews appreciated. Chapter 3 is here!
1. Lunatic Effect

I got the idea for this story while I was at work a week or two ago. It was a full moon, and people were acting crazy as usual. I thought to myself, "there's got to be a way to use this in fan fiction". This is the result. I'm happy to be writing again and I hope this helps shake away the cobwebs from my imagination. It's also the first thing I've written and published using my new macbook pro! I can't believe I haven't had internet access since July… ugh!

This story is rated M for some mature content (pretty sure that's what the M stands for, yeah?). There are some disturbing scenes and there are some other scenes that are just, well, rated M.

Anyway, I know I should be working on the next chapter of **The Night Before** (which _is_ underway)… but I hope someone will enjoy this. It's already nearly complete, and will get posted in either two parts or three. Reviews are appreciated, as always! ^_^

**Tripping Over the Moon**

**Chapter 1: Lunatic Effect**

There are those who believe that the coming of the full moon during each lunar cycle makes perfectly normal people act crazy. That's where the word 'lunatic' comes from- it is derived from the myth, still alive in the guise of an urban legend, that full moons cause ordinary everyday citizens to exhibit behavior which is abnormally foolish or absurd.

These temporary bouts of insanity can happen to anyone…

**xxxxx**

Seto Kaiba had always been a night person. There was a certain time in the day that was so late it was certainly not part of evening, but didn't quite qualify as part of morning either. He liked this time the best. Most people were sleeping at this hour, safe in their beds. Seto felt that this was an appropriate place for them to be- dreaming away obliviously, far away from where they could bother him. The office was quiet, and he could hear himself _think_. Considering how much ambient stupidity fuzzed across the mental airwaves at most hours, this was no small achievement. Most of the time, this was when he was most relaxed. Tonight, however, he felt uneasy.

The digital display in the corner of Seto's computer blipped silently, indicating that the hour was now one forty-five am. He grumbled to himself, pressing a hand to his forehead in annoyance at the fact that it had now been fully one hour since he had accomplished anything. It was unusual for Seto to lose his focus in the middle of a task- especially an important one. The proposal for Fujitsu Inc. needed to be completed by Monday morning, and he'd hardly even gotten past the preliminaries. At this rate Mokuba would have to put up with another fun and exciting weekend of watching his older brother work. The young CEO briefly wondered if he didn't have other people in his employ that should be taking care of details like this. Then again, who could he trust to do anything correctly? If you want something done right…

He was fairly sure the second half of that phrase was not supposed to be 'stare at your computer for hours'.

Sighing, Seto pushed himself away from the desk, wheeling his office chair around and looking out the window. The lights of Domino City twinkled silently through the glass, muddled by the glare and thrown slightly out of balance by the unusually strong moonlight. A full moon? Hmm. No wonder the Kaiba Corp phones had been ringing off the hook all day. Seto was by no means a superstitious person, but the full moon myth was one piece of folklore he actually believed in. In his line of work you learned to be realistic about things. In this case, reality had taught him that when a full moon hit half the temps in the secretarial pool either went home crying because of the screaming customer on the other end of the phone line or got fired because they screamed back.

This type of thing was not good for business.

A steady tapping sound was the only thing Seto heard, and after a few slightly confusing moments he realized that his own foot was what was making the noise. Was it possible he was feeling slightly stir crazy? Maybe he had ingested too much caffeine. Mokuba was always telling him to cut down, but half the time he didn't even notice how much coffee he drank. Peering absently down to the streets below, Seto reasoned that perhaps some fresh air would be fitting in this situation. He could take a walk, purge this uncharacteristic anxiousness from his system.

It took just about a dozen long strides to reach the elevator. He shrugged into his trench coat, leaving it open, and pushed the button for the lobby. He saw his own impatient frown reflected back at him from the mirrored surface of the elevator wall. Even this short descent was making him feel claustrophobic. As Seto passed the front desk, he nodded to the security guard on duty. It wasn't unusual for the CEO to pass in and out at all hours. Just a short walk should clear his mind, and then he could get back to work. At least that was what he thought as he strode out into the night…

**xxxxx**

"Are you sure you'll be alright?"

Anzu smiled, nodding to her friends as they clamored into a yellow taxi cab. They had all just enjoyed an amazing night of dancing and generally living it up at the hottest new club in Domino City. Honda and Jounouchi were in the back of the cab with Shizuka between them. The close proximity made Honda and Shizuka blush. The fact that they were blushing made Jounouchi frown with big-brotherly disapproval. Yugi hesitated at the door to the front passenger seat. "I don't like the idea of you walking home alone…"

Giggling, Anzu shooed Yugi into the cab. "I'll be _fine_. It's not like I've never walked home before. Anyway, it's only a few blocks!" The blue eyed girl had moved into a small apartment in the city center just a couple months ago. It was conveniently located near Domino College and was just down the street from the dance academy where Anzu worked part-time. From the club it would be only three or four blocks. She resisted the urge to roll her eyes at Yugi's overprotectiveness.

"Come on Yugi, the meter's running! Bye Anzu!" Jounouchi waved, smiling widely. Anzu could hear Shizuka and Honda wishing her similar farewells.

Yugi sighed, finally relenting in the face of such overwhelming opposition. "OK, OK! Just text me when you get home? Otherwise I'll worry all night…"

"Yes, _mom_. I will text you. Now get in the taxi before Jounouchi has to spend all his lunch money on cab fare!"

Anzu waved as the taxi accelerated down the block. The crisp air felt invigorating against her flushed skin. Her limbs ached pleasantly from the vigorous workout the night of dancing had provided. As the exiting club crowd thronged around her, Anzu wedged the small clutch she had brought as a purse between her knees and tied her sheer electric blue sweater around her waist. She felt grown up and fashionable in this outfit, which consisted of artfully destructed skinny jeans, a black halter top, and electric blue high heels that matched her sweater. She had pulled her hair into a high ponytail at some point in the night so that her neck didn't get too hot while dancing. Sometimes she wanted to cut it, but it had taken so long to grow it out and there really were so many ways to style it…

Checking for traffic, the dark haired girl crossed the street and headed along the sidewalk on the opposite side. Her apartment was about 4 blocks away, but she was convinced she knew a shortcut that would make the trip even shorter. The noise from the club patrons died down as she reached the next corner. She was pretty sure there was a small drive on the next block that would cut right through the middle of the tall buildings on either side to the street she lived on. Anzu loved living downtown. Smiling to herself, she looked up and noticed the moon. It was beautiful and full, hanging in the sky above like a silver plate. Even the lights of the city couldn't hide its brilliance tonight; it looked so close that she felt she could reach out and touch it. Sometimes she missed being able to sit on her parents' front porch and see all the stars gleaming in the sky, but nights like this where the moon was big and bright sort of made up for it. The sky could still be beautiful here in the city, even with the bright lights drowning out the stars.

Stars were probably not what Anzu should have been thinking about as she turned into the shortcut. She probably should have been thinking that it might not be the best idea for a young woman on her own to turn down a poorly lit alleyway (you really couldn't call it a street) in the middle of the night, especially if she wasn't _quite_ sure that this so-called shortcut led where she thought it did. The perceived invincibility of youth can be a dangerous thing, especially when you combine it with a natural love for exploring. Anzu was about to discover this fact, and not in a nice way.

She noticed the first man about twenty feet ahead of her, leaning against the dingy brick wall. Thinking maybe this _hadn't_ been such a good idea, she turned back. Unfortunately for Anzu, what she hadn't noticed was the second man. He was now behind her. A pit of fear settled in the bottom of Anzu's stomach as the third man stepped into view. The man by the brick wall smiled an unpleasant smile. Anzu could feel the body heat radiating from the second man as he closed in at her back. She jumped as a strong hand latched onto her wrist, knocking her purse to the ground. A moment later she could feel his breath, gusting hot across her earlobe. "Hey there, cutie."

Sufficiently horrified with her current situation as it was, Anzu hadn't noticed the other man approaching her until he was just a step away, raking his eyes over her body appraisingly. She jerked her arm, trying to get free of her captor. His lips touched her ear as he laughed, twisting her arm behind her back and holding her even tighter. The man standing in front of her shook his head. "Now, now. It's a little too late to run. Since you were nice enough to walk right in, why don't you just stay and visit us for awhile?"

In the dim light she could see that the three men were not old. Probably in their twenties, maybe early thirties. They weren't dressed badly, just a little bit untidy like salarymen after a few too many drinks. But their demeanor was not that of drunken men. Their movements were catlike and purposeful. Oh, what had she gotten herself into? What could she do to make them leave her alone? "Y--" she faltered, unable to make her voice obey the commands of her brain. Breathing in slowly, she tried again. "There's not…much money in my bag, but you can t-take it. And my credit cards. Just take it, please…"

The third man chuckled. "Don't you love it when they say '_please_'?"

The first man stepped even closer, so that Anzu was practically sandwiched between him and the one that was holding her. "What makes you think we're interested in money?" Her eyes widened as he reached toward his belt, pulling out a knife. The moonlight she had been admiring only minutes before gleamed off of the blade, imbuing it with a threatening glow. "Not when you've obviously got _so_ much more to offer…"

The man behind her reached around and grabbed her other arm, holding it firmly to her side. If it was even possible, he pressed in closer behind her. She felt something pressing into her backside, realizing with disgust that he was grinding his hardness against her. Moments seemed like hours as the knife ripped into the fabric of her halter top. Anzu closed her eyes, unable to look at the hungry expression the man was wearing as he cut her shirt open. The tearing sound was probably the worst noise she had ever heard, followed closely by the voice of the third man as he gave his opinion of the proceedings. "Mmm, she looks delicious. Can I go first?"

Anzu's eyes shot open as she felt something sharp and cold traveling up her abdomen. She watched as he slid the blade upwards toward her chest, which was now covered only in her black lace bra. The shreds of her halter top hung at her sides like a sad vest. She felt like she was going to throw up. The man with the knife made a dismissive sound in response to his companion's question. "Patience, Kazuo. I want to have _fun_ with this one."

_No…no…_

A gasp escaped Anzu's lips as she felt the knife slide between her breasts. With a sharp upward sawing motion the fabric was rent in two. Her attacker growled low in his throat at the sight of her exposed breasts, slowly reaching a hand toward her. The only thing she could hear was the blood pounding inside her own head. Her breaths came short and fast as he began to touch her. How could this be happening? Ten minutes ago she had been laughing with her friends, and now…

Her revulsion increased even further, if that were possible, as the man behind her snaked an arm around her body, roughly unbuttoning the front of her jeans and sliding his fingers beneath the waistband of her panties.

_No…no…this can't be happening…_

Focusing every last shred of energy she had in her body, Anzu collected all the willpower she possessed and did the one and only thing she could think of that made sense. Taking in a deep breath and shutting out the image and the sensation of their hands all over her body, Anzu leaned her head back and _screamed_.

**xxxxx**

Seto Kaiba frowned, pushing his way through another group of annoyingly loud youths. Presumably they were shouting at each other because they'd all gone deaf listening to boring, repetitive dance music. Honestly, he could practically feel the bass beating out of the club's speakers and he was on the opposite side of the street...

So much for a nice relaxing walk. Who in their right mind would have thought there could be this many people out on the streets at two o'clock in the morning? How was he supposed to 'clear his mind' with all this commotion everywhere? Kaiba continued down the street in long strides, wondering if the behavior he was seeing was another consequence of the full moon effect. It was a fairly warm night for early spring, and there seemed to be swarms of people outside every door. Restaurants, bars, dance clubs… it seemed as if half the city was out and about tonight. People of all ages and sorts passed by him as he walked, laughing and joking with each other as if it were the middle of the day and they were on lunch hour. At the next corner he hesitated for a moment. He looked up and down the street, eventually choosing the direction that looked most deserted.

The fresh air at least _did_ seem to be helping. It was crisp, but not quite cold. He probably would have been fine without his coat, but he wasn't uncomfortably warm. The next block he found himself walking down was far quieter. This street, he knew, was more of a daytime business location rather than a late night hot spot. He felt a little more relaxed surrounded as he was by darkened storefronts and office buildings with just one or two windows lit. He stopped for a moment, sitting on a bench underneath a tree- one of the type that were often planted by the city to make it look like they cared about green space. There was that moon again, hanging in the blackness like a night-light for the world. What was it about the moon that made people act so strange? Maybe they were like that all the time on the inside, and the full moon was just a convenient excuse to let it out. Or perhaps there was a natural explanation. Something to do with the tides? He was glad he had a strong enough mental constitution not to be affected by such things.

Rising from the bench, Seto walked slowly along the street with his hands buried in his pockets. Maybe after the Fujitsu merger was all sealed up he would take a little time off, bring Mokuba somewhere. He really did want to spend more time with his brother, but running Kaiba Corporation was extremely demanding of his time. Sometimes he hated it, but only once in awhile. Generally speaking he actually enjoyed his work. Sometimes he felt guilty for that. But Mokuba was getting older now; in a few years he would be off to college, and after that who knew whether either of them would have time for the other? Maybe this was what had been making him feel uneasy.

For the first time in a long time, Seto Kaiba was willing to admit (to himself anyway) that he needed a vacation.

"Hmm…" This was an interesting conclusion to have reached. But now that he had come to it, he would simply have to embrace it. So what would it be? Greece? The Caribbean? Someplace warm, with lots of ocean. Surprisingly, Seto didn't have a yacht. Maybe it was time to get one. Seto was sailing along quite happily in his mind as he crossed the next intersection. Moments like this, for him, were quite rare. His thoughts were not full of hostile takeovers or research and development. He was not mentally calculating sales figures or pondering whether or not to fire someone. At this particular point in time Seto was actually wondering where to buy swim trunks.

Unfortunately, Seto's swimsuit filled reverie was quite short lived. He was walking past the darkened window of a cellphone store when he heard the scream.

And it was a _scream_.

Primal, peace-shattering, ear-rending, and _loud_. It seemed to be coming from the general vicinity of an alleyway on the other side of the street. The scream was most certainly of a feminine persuasion, and ended with worrying abruptness. Seto knew that people went a little bit wacky at the full moon, but the screamer actually sounded like they were in genuine and urgent distress. Contrary to popular belief, Seto Kaiba was not a totally cold-hearted person. He was a man just like any other in certain ways, and there was something about the 'helpless woman in trouble' scenario that was impossible for him to just ignore. Without even really thinking about it, Seto's long legs carried him toward the mouth of the alleyway at a fairly brisk run. He slowed as he approached, cautiously reaching the edge of the wall and peeking around the corner. What he saw when he did was just the type of thing that no right-thinking person ever wants to see.

There were two men, at least that he could see. They were doing… _something_ to what appeared to be a very attractive young woman. The alley was dark, and he couldn't see any of their faces. He took a few more steps, noting that there was a third man. The girl was whimpering, struggling against her captor as he pressed one hand over her mouth and squeezed one of her unclothed breasts with the other. "Shhhh," he said, "we don't need any more company. There might not be enough of you to go around."

The man that Seto immediately clocked as the leader was standing in front of the girl, holding a knife in one hand. The third attacker was looking around nervously. "Do you think we should take her somewhere else? Someone might have heard." None of the men had seen Seto yet, and the girl wasn't looking in his direction. The man with the knife shrugged.

"I doubt it. If anyone was close enough to hear they would probably be here by now. But I guess we should make it a quick one, just in case someone called the cops." He waved a hand toward the man that was holding the girl from behind. The man took his hand away from the girl's mouth. "All that screaming went and ruined my fun. You should have kept your mouth shut. Now I'm not going to be so gentle…"

A surprised sound erupted from the captive girl as the man slapped her across the face. Seto fished his cellphone out of his pocket and started dialing the number for a police emergency. As he was doing so, the man dropped his knife onto the pavement next to what appeared to be the girl's purse. With his hands now free, he began to unfasten his pants. What good would it do to call the police now? They sure as hell weren't going to get here in time…

The first man looked in turn at his two accomplices. "Get her down and hold her there." The man that was already holding the girl used his leg to sweep her feet out from under her as the third came over to her other side to help push her to the ground. The leader knelt down, gripping the waistband of the young woman's jeans in both hands. "Mmm… time for a good, _hard_, screw."

Seto could hear her whispering "_no, no, no," _over and over again. Realizing that he had better act now if he was going to be of any help at all, Seto stepped into the open.

"Let her go."

It wasn't the all-time cleverest phrase used to confront an attacker, but it was short and to the point. The three men looked up from the monstrous act they were about to commit. The leader of the group stood back up, facing Seto and giving him a look that indicated he was not particularly afraid. He scoffed. "I don't think so. I haven't finished with her yet."

Another of the men stood up, producing a length of heavy looking pipe seemingly from out of nowhere. The third man had a tight grip on the girl's arm, making sure she couldn't escape.

"How about I give you one chance to forget you ever walked into this alley and be off along your way?" The leader crossed his arms in front of his chest. "That is, unless you want in on your share of the action. This is the finest piece of ass we've come across in awhile. Wanna take her for a ride?"

Seto's eyes narrowed. The mere suggestion that he would be interested in such a thing under these circumstances filled him with disgust. "No thank you. But if you hang around here for much longer the police will be coming to take you for one." He held up his cellphone. "I've already called them," he lied.

His assertion was answered with laughter. "Ooh, we're really scared. Maybe we'll just have to take our new pet somewhere else. Of course there's not _too_ much of a hurry…" The man brandished his knife, taking a few steps in Seto's direction. "…after all, we wouldn't want to miss our chance to teach you a lesson about minding your own business. Right Tetsuya?"

The man with the pipe laughed in response. The two men were stalking toward Seto with what was obviously the worst of intentions. The CEO was actually quite well versed in the art of self defense, but they had weapons and he didn't. Plus, he was outnumbered three to one. One wouldn't have been a problem, but he wasn't sure if he could take on two at the same time…

Ready or not, he was about to find out. The man with the knife spit on the ground and jerked his head toward Seto. "Let's get him."

**xxxxx**

**xxxxx**

Uh-oh! Suspense alert! Yucky rapists! Sorry for the cliffhanger; I wouldn't have done it, though, if I hadn't already written chapter two! That should be up in a week or less. Reviews would be liked very much by me. Now that I have the satisfying feeling of posting _something_, I can move on to chapter 20 of **The Night Before**…


	2. Shock of Moonlight

Hmm, it might have been a little more than a week between updates for this. Sorry about that, I am easily distracted. Been working on chapter 20 of 'The Night Before', which is coming along slowly but surely. I hope this little tale will entertain you in the meantime. Thanks for the reviews, they definitely keep me going in all my fan fic endeavors!

I realize I forgot to disclaim at the beginning of the story, so know this: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! or any of the characters. All I get to do is torment them on a part-time basis. But it's only as much as they deserve- they torment me too, when they refuse to act the way I want them to! Jerks…

**Tripping Over the Moon**

**Chapter 2: Shock of Moonlight**

Anzu's mind bubbled up out of the protective haze it had constructed when they pushed her down to the ground, realizing that the violation had momentarily ceased. She was still pinned to the gravel-strewn floor of the alley, held fast by the more nervous of the three thugs. The man with the knife and the one who had first grabbed her from behind had turned their attention elsewhere. She heard the sound of arguing voices. Had someone heard her scream? She strained against the grip of the man who was pinning her, stretching her neck to look.

There was a tall, dark figure in the mouth of the alleyway. The light from the street beyond outlined his form, and prevented Anzu from making out any of his features. He was tall and definitely male. More importantly, she heard him say the word 'police'. The other men didn't seem to like that very much. Was it possible that she was saved? She hoped against hope that this was almost over, that she was going to escape this situation relatively unharmed. Yes, they had frightened her and even assaulted her to some extent, but what could have happened next would have been much _much_ worse. Feeling her strength beginning to return, she fixed her eyes onto the figure, concentrating all her mental power and silently begging him to save her. She didn't even realize she was speaking until she heard the words, which sounded disconnected from her body somehow. "Help…_please help me…" _she whispered.

"Shut up!" The man that was holding her down dug his calloused fingers into her shoulder. There was a panicked expression in his eyes, which darted back and forth between Anzu and the three other men, who appeared to be squaring up for a fight. He looked like he was losing control of the situation, and didn't know whether to keep his grip of Anzu or get up and aid his colleagues. The moment of hesitation was costly.

The sickly sound of a fist connecting with a jawbone echoed through the enclosed space like a short clap of thunder. Anzu's captor jumped up at the sound of a heavy pipe clattering to the ground. Finally freed, the disheveled girl scrambled to her feet, backing away from the scene and trying to cover herself with what remained of her halter top. She watched with apprehension as the man with the knife swiped quickly at her savior, who dodged the move with what appeared to be some skill. Anzu heard a cracking noise which may or may not have been the sound of an arm being broken. Two of the men had already been taken out. One was crumpled in a heap on the ground, unconscious from the blow to his head. The other was laying on his side and groaning, holding his arm which was indeed quite broken.

In a move born of desperation, the third man gave a cry of rage and threw himself recklessly toward the enemy. Before he was even within striking distance a long leg lashed out, kicking him squarely in the solar plexus and knocking him against the wall about five feet away from where Anzu was standing. Before the final assailant had slid all the way to the ground, she saw a bluish glow from the cell phone in her rescuer's hand as he turned back toward the street and dialed quickly. As he held the phone to his ear, one of the prone attackers began to stir. Anzu felt all the rage and humiliation welling up inside of her. The anger carried her almost without her knowledge, and within the next moment the assailant who was attempting to rise had a new understanding of what a well placed high-heel could do.

She hoped the mark it left would be visible for a _long_ time.

As her breathing returned to normal, Anzu's legs began to feel wobbly. The adrenaline was wearing off, and she staggered sideways to brace herself against the nearest brick wall. She glanced at the outline of her knight in shining armor as he waited silently on the phone. There was something… familiar about his silhouette. Perhaps it just seemed that way to Anzu because here in this alleyway seconds felt like hours. After just a few short minutes she felt like she had known that figure for years. When she heard him speak, however, she would realize just how accurate her intuition was.

"Yes. I want to report an assault… Mmm hmm. 600 block of Ibaraki road. No, I'm not the victim. They were attacking a girl. There's three of them…. Yes. Oh, they won't be going anywhere anytime soon." There was a lengthy pause, presumably while the dispatcher processed the information. The man was still as a statue, waiting. Anzu could tell he was dressed in dark colors, but that was about all she could see of him. His back was turned to her, silhouette betraying nothing. "Yes," he continued, "the victim is still here. She might need some medical attention. I'm not sure. The guys who attacked her definitely need some." The last part was spoken almost as an unimportant afterthought. Anzu almost gasped as he turned his head just slightly toward her. His profile was handsome, but there was something about him that was bothering her…

"…my name? Kaiba. Seto Kaiba."

_Kaiba?! Oh my god, it's Seto Kaiba. _

This final, massive shock was absolutely the last straw. Her rescuer was _Kaiba_?! Without further ado, Anzu Mazaki felt her legs give out from beneath her as she fell to the alleyway floor in a dead faint.

**xxxxx**

Seto hit the end button on his phone and shoved it back into his pants pocket, hurrying over to the girl and managing to catch her just before she hit the ground. He lifted her carefully, gathering her into his arms and walking out of the alleyway and onto the well-lit sidewalk. There was no reason to stay in the alley any longer. He didn't want to be there and was certain that she wouldn't want to wake up there, either. This way they would be out in the open when the police arrived. Seto carried the girl over to a nearby bench. She was easy to carry, being quite slender and not very heavy. As he set her down, he got his first good look at her face.

He wasn't sure if he wanted to laugh or scream when he realized that the girl was none other than Anzu Mazaki, best friend and cheerleader to his nemesis.

What were the chances of this sort of thing happening? Domino wasn't the biggest city, but there were still a few hundred thousand people here. The probability of ending up in a situation like this, by chance, with someone you already knew must have been astronomical.

_Astronomical is right, _he thought to himself. _One more thing to blame on the full moon…_

It wasn't like he was trying to look, but he couldn't help but notice her state of undress. She had tried to cover herself with the scraps of her shirt, but any attempt she had made was undone when she fainted. Seto tried not to think about what he had seen them try to do to her as he buttoned her jeans. He thought he had seen a sweater on the alleyway floor, but it hadn't looked substantial enough to provide much modesty with nothing under it. Instead, he removed his black trench coat and wrapped it around her, totally refusing to notice her rather enticing curves as he carefully concealed them. Anzu let out a small breath and crinkled her eyebrows. For a moment it looked like she was waking up, but her face relaxed and she remained unconscious.

Seto took this opportunity to study her countenance. He hadn't seen the girl since they finished school two years ago. He tried to avoid the members of the geek squad as much as possible anyway, but it seemed like their lives were further removed from each other than ever. Yugi and his friends were doing what normal young people did- attending college, working part-time jobs, partying on the weekend. Seto had little contact with their world. He was devoted to his corporation and was not the type to 'party'. He was privately of the opinion that most people didn't get any smarter by attending college, and had decided it would be a waste of time in his particular case. Dueling had certainly fallen by the wayside in favor of more adult concerns. Seto had probably only seen Yugi Moto two or three times in the past year.

Looking her over, Seto realized that she was actually quite a pretty girl. It had never occurred to him to think about her that way, but here in the quiet he was able to admit it. And she was usually such a firecracker. Though he would probably never tell her to her face, he had always thought of Anzu as a pretty strong person. After all, she wasn't even afraid to stand up to him. For that reason, what had just happened seemed that much worse. She looked small and fragile wrapped in his coat, and that just wasn't right.

It made him want to go back into the alleyway and break a few more bones.

He did walk to the mouth of the alley, but only to make sure Anzu's attackers hadn't awakened. He had taken special measures to ensure that they wouldn't, and the fact that Anzu had ground her spike heel into one of their faces hadn't hurt the cause, either. Taking a few steps forward, he took note of Anzu's purse and sweater. He retrieved them from the ground and brought them back to the bench. Anzu was rising slowly.

Letting out a small groan and bringing a hand to her forehead, Anzu opened her eyes. For a few seconds she simply peered at him. Then, she seemed to notice that she was wearing his coat. Sitting up, she gripped the fabric and pulled it even tighter against her body. She seemed to be having trouble meeting his eyes, which was not characteristic of her. "Kaiba… Umm…"

Seto was sure she must be humiliated by what had just happened, but he didn't know what to do to make her feel better. That sort of thing wasn't exactly his strong suit. Besides, it would probably only scare and embarrass her more if he put his arm around her and said "there, there, it will be okay." It just wasn't the type of behavior that made sense for him. He settled for sitting down next to her and handing her the items he had retrieved from the alleyway.

She accepted them, giving him what was almost a little bit of a smile. "Thanks. I mean it, Kaiba. You really saved me back there."

"Don't mention it." Seto didn't really know what else to say. He supposed it would probably be appropriate to ask her if she was OK. "Are you alright?"

Anzu shrugged. "I guess so. I wouldn't have been if you hadn't come along, that's for sure."

The two dark haired individuals looked at each other for a long, slow moment, neither really knowing what to say or really feeling that words were necessary. They knew they had just shared an experience that would change their relationship forever. A few moments later the spell was broken as the sound of sirens approached from a few blocks down. Seto rose to his feet as the police car pulled up, waiting on the curb to meet the sergeant as he exited the vehicle. The first police car was followed by two others, plus an ambulance.

What had been a quiet scene moments earlier was now a hubbub of activity. Leading the officers to the alley, he explained his part of the story. He felt a sense of justice and perhaps a little bit of accomplishment as the three men were hauled to their feet and dragged out of the alley. Anzu was being questioned by a female officer and given a cursory examination by the paramedics, who found that she was fine outside of a few superficial cuts and bruises. It seemed like everything had turned out okay, and Seto found that he was actually quite glad about that. What he didn't realize was that there were still a few surprises in store for him on this moonlit night…

**xxxxx**

It turned out that the men who had attacked Anzu had been terrorizing young women in the area for weeks, raping several and murdering one who struggled a little too much. The attacks were usually opportunistic, preying on drunk women or prostitutes who were occasionally seen on the streets. She had walked right into them like a lamb to the slaughter. Anzu made a mental note to herself to try to watch the news once in awhile and to be more aware of herself when she was walking alone, because she might not be this lucky next time. The paramedics and police were kind to her, and she felt as though she would get through this ordeal with a minimum of distress. In fact, the only thing that was weighing on her mind right now was the idea of Seto Kaiba as her rescuer.

He had taken charge of the situation and dealt with all the details the police needed to know. Anzu watched from a distance as the sergeant shook Kaiba's hand, and a couple of the younger cadets looked at him with admiration as the attackers were taken away. The confidence that Kaiba had always seemed to possess in spades appeared to have been tempered over the past years since she had seen him last, the cocky arrogance of youth being replaced with restrained self-assurance.

The responders gradually dispersed, the sergeant giving Anzu his card and asking her to come down to the station to do some paperwork the next day. He offered to give her a ride to her apartment, but Kaiba waved him away and insisted that he would see her home safely. As the sergeant pulled away in his car, the two were left alone once again.

There was an awkward silence. It was three-thirty in the morning, and the moon was headed toward the opposite horizon.

Kaiba pulled his phone out and looked at Anzu out of the corner of his eye. "I'll call my driver to take you home."

"It's only another two blocks or so. There's really no need…" she paused, realizing that although things had turned out alright she was still a bit shaken up. She wanted to walk, she liked the fresh crispness of the air, but even if it was so close she didn't want to walk home alone. He had already done so much for her, though, and she didn't want to impose any further. After all, this was _Kaiba_ she was dealing with-

"Come on," he said in a slightly bored tone, "I'll walk with you."

-and _Kaiba_ had just offered to walk her home. Just what was in the air tonight that was making life so _weird_?

Anzu stood up. Briefly she looked him in the eye, looked at the ground, and then met his gaze for a longer moment. There didn't appear to be any malice in his countenance, in fact there wasn't any particular type of emotion in evidence. She gestured to her right. "It's this way."

The two began to walk along slowly and silently, reaching an intersection and crossing the deserted street even though the light was red. Anzu looked at her companion out of the corner of her eye. He hadn't changed much, not really, not in the essentials. He was good looking, that had always been true. He looked a little more grown up now, with a build that was a little less lanky and a bit of a five o'clock shadow (or was it three AM shadow?). His clothes looked just as expensive as they always had, but without some of the flamboyance they used to display. The color purple was nowhere in sight. The pants were black, the shoes were Italian, and the sweater was deep blue cashmere.

Silence radiated between them like a thick mist. Anzu felt somewhere deep down in her talkative, friendly, gregarious soul that not to attempt conversation with her rescuer did not show proper gratitude. She just didn't know what to talk about with Kaiba. Surely, though, it couldn't hurt to try? "So… umm…"

He let out a sound that might have been a laugh. "You really don't have to talk, you know. Not everybody likes to gab non-stop like you and your friends."

Anzu's mouth opened and closed, scrambling for conversational footing. "I just thought-"

"Well _don't_. I happen to be enjoying the quiet." He could see that she was hurt by his abruptness. "Don't take it personally. The reason I was out tonight in the first place was to clear my mind. As you can see, that didn't work out very well."

She wheeled around on him then, stepping directly into his path. "Well excuse me very much, Kaiba. I'll try not to be attacked by three psychopaths next time, I certainly wouldn't want to spoil your peace and quiet!"

He raised an eyebrow. "Well, I'm glad to see you're feeling like yourself again. Now can we just keep walking?"

She was starting to feel like a fish, the way her mouth just kept opening and closing with no sound coming out. There was something about Kaiba tonight that was keeping her tongue-tied. She felt like she should be angry, but the tone of his voice wasn't actually rude. She surprised herself by falling back into step beside him. Anzu was rather curious as to what could be on Kaiba's mind that would bother him enough to make him wander around in the night to straighten it out. As they turned the corner into Anzu's street, that curiosity got the better of her. "So what's on your mind, Kaiba?"

He frowned, crossing his arms in a perceptibly defensive manner. "Excuse me?"

Rolling her eyes, she hugged herself and turned her body sideways to face him as they walked. "You said you came out here to clear your mind. Do you want to talk about it? Believe it or not, I'm a good listener."

Anzu and Seto came to a stop in front of her apartment. The frown was still on his face. "No Thanks."

She shrugged. "Sometimes it helps to get it off your chest."

"It's not that big of a deal. I _don't_ like being psychoanalyzed."

Anzu sat down on the steps leading to the door of her building. "I don't know much about that type of thing. All I'm saying is that it doesn't hurt to talk to somebody once in awhile."

Leaning against the bannister, Seto scrutinized her carefully. "Hn. What makes you think I don't already have someone to _talk to_?" He said the last few words as though they had an unpleasant taste.

"Just guessing." Worrying her bottom lip, Anzu glanced toward the door. "Look. I have to give you back your coat anyway. To be perfectly honest, I would rather not be alone right now if I have a choice. Now, do you want a cup of coffee or something? You can sit there and drink it silently if you like."

He was frozen for a moment, looking down at the sidewalk and avoiding the earnestness of her expression. She wasn't looking at him either, but she could feel him there. He was a steady presence; maybe there was something about the tension and unclear hostility between them that pushed the anguish and restlessness to the back of her mind. She found herself surprisingly reluctant to part with the unwavering force of him, regardless of whether it was benevolent or not. She dared to draw his gaze, and ever so quietly said, "Please?"

Seto's eyebrows creased in what might have been confusion, tinged with a sprinkling of irritated surprise. "Fine."

And so it was that two slightly bewildered people ascended the stairs and passed through the door to Anzu's apartment. The slowly setting moon almost seemed to wink as it descended out of view in the distant sky.

**xxxxx**

There. Boy, these guys are really getting along like a house on fire, hmm? Not!

Anyway, maybe they'll get along better in chapter 3. Or maybe they'll just keep picking on each other, which is fun too. I assure you, they'll come to terms eventually. It is _me_ writing this, after all. ; ) I will have another update along in a week or less. I expect there are two more chapters left. Hopefully 'The Night Before' will be ready to fire by about that time, also. Keep leaving me your reviews, they are very motivational!


	3. The Borderline

Sorry it took me so long to get this chapter ready- most of it has been sitting here already written for a couple weeks, but I got distracted with a few things. Updated a couple other fics, did some reading, puttered around with some other stuff… you know how it is.

Anyway, I finished it up and edited it while listening to the song 'The High Road' by the band Broken Bells over and over again, so it probably colored the finished product to some extent. Great match in tone, and it contributed a title for the chapter as well. I hope you guys will like the chapter. Check out the song if you have a chance, it's a cool one.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything mentioned in here. Not Yu-Gi-Oh, Seto, Anzu, or Yugi's polka dot underwear. Ha! I wonder how many people actually read this disclaimer carefully enough to catch that last one… ;)

**Tripping Over the Moon**

**Chapter 3: The Borderline**

For not the first time in the past half hour, he wondered what he was doing here.

The kitchen was colorfully decorated and spotlessly clean, the occasional expanse of wall or free surface dotted with a trinket or photograph. Some of those pictures were like bad memories to Seto- Yugi and Jounouchi dueling at the Kame Game Shop, the entire nerd herd eating ice cream cones at what looked like the beginning of the Battle City tournament, Anzu on graduation day with Yugi's arm across her shoulders… people and things that Seto hadn't thought about in a long time. He'd been _glad_ not to think about them.

She had left him to his own devices after putting the coffee on to brew, absently turning on every light in the apartment as she headed to her bedroom to change. Surely the experience this evening had left her somewhat shaken. Presumably that was why she had invited him in. But why, exactly, had he accepted? To be polite? That wasn't exactly his style. Out of concern for Anzu? Again, unlikely. His eyebrows creased as he frowned into his coffee, trying not to think about the possibility that he hadn't wanted to be alone with his thoughts, which remained in an unresolved and distracted state despite his better efforts.

Emerging from the bedroom, he watched Anzu walk to the front of the apartment and hang his coat carefully on an empty hook next to the door. He didn't miss the small motion made by her eyes as she checked that the locks were secure. She smiled nervously at him as she came into the kitchen, wearing some nondescript but flattering pajamas. Her hair was in a loose braid. She poured herself a cup of coffee, gesturing to him with her head. "Let's go sit in the living room. It's a little more comfortable than here."

Seto hadn't even noticed that the kitchen chair was uncomfortable until she mentioned it. Truthfully, his body did feel a bit stiff. Her furniture wasn't the worst quality it could be, but it still appeared to be something that would be affordable on a college student's budget. He followed her into the living room and selected a well worn armchair. Anzu curled her legs beneath her and sat on the couch to his left.

Uncomfortable silence seemed to be a theme of the day for them, and it had returned with a vengeance. Anzu sipped her coffee repeatedly as though it were the only thing she could think of to do. He had unfortunately forgotten to refill his cup before sitting down and felt like half his body had been swallowed by the surprisingly comfortable armchair. He placed the empty cup on the coffee table, where yet another photograph caught his eye.

It was a picture of Yugi, and yet it wasn't. There was a certain confidence in the smirk upon the face looking out of the photograph, a hardness of expression that Seto had seen but a few times on his rival. If he had known there was another spirit dwelling within Yugi he never would have admitted it, but this photo seemed almost like conclusive evidence that the presence existed.

"Weird, isn't it? He's gone forever, you know. Sometimes I don't even believe he was there unless I see this picture."

"Hn," Seto said dismissively, picking up the frame to look a little more closely. "Probably just a trick of the light. Magic is for babies and weirdoes, Mazaki. I see nothing other than Yugi in this photo. It's not healthy to let your imagination run away from you."

She let out a short giggle. "If that's true, Kaiba, how did you even know what I was talking about? You wouldn't have acknowledged it with an answer if you hadn't seen it there yourself."

Seto shrugged, returning the picture frame to its home in a face-down position. This was a subject he preferred not to linger upon. Without even contemplating, he employed the time-honored strategy of changing the focus of the conversation by trying to piss her off. "It's funny, Mazaki. I thought you and the shrimp were somewhat of an item. Why wasn't he the one rescuing you tonight?"

His baiting did not have the desired effect. Anzu's blue eyes went wide and she jumped up from the couch, almost spilling her coffee. "Oh my god! Yugi! I forgot to text him!" She ran to the kitchen table where she had left her purse, fumbling for her cell. Texting furiously, she moved slowly back toward the couch. Noticing the bemused expression on Seto's face, she absently explained, "Yugi and the others were with me at the club, but I didn't want to take a taxi with them just for a few lousy blocks when it wasn't even on their way…"

The girl froze, obviously remembering what had happened to her on this supposedly simple trip home. A few pieces of hair fell out of her braid as she shook herself back to reality. "Anyway, I was supposed to text him when I got home." Tossing the phone on the couch as she finished her message, Anzu put her hands on her hips and glared at him. "Yugi _does_ care about me. This was all my fault for being so stubborn…"

Anger deflating as quickly as it had come, she slouched back onto the couch looking slightly dejected. Seto, as usual when it came to Yugi, could not let the matter rest. "If you were _my _girlfriend there's no way in hell I would allow such a thing. Isn't that runt ever going to grow a backbone?"

This was usually the point where the pompoms came out, and cheerleader Anzu rose to the defense of her dear friend Yugi. Again, Seto did not receive the expected response. Anzu's cheeks turned oh so slightly pink as her eyes locked onto his. "He is _not_ my boyfriend!"

Silence reigned once again, for a few moments. Anzu let out a deep breath, leaning her head back onto the couch cushion. When she spoke, the words seemed to be mostly for herself. "Why do people _always_ think that?"

Seto Kaiba released a low chuckle, knowing he had touched upon a sensitive subject. "Oh _please_. Like you haven't noticed the way Yugi has been looking at you since we were twelve? He's head over heels- not that he'd have to fall very far to make it to that point." He smirked. Surely this would be enough to send her over the edge. He wasn't sure quite why he wanted to make her angry. He could admit that it was perhaps a way of diverting or distracting himself. Or maybe he just wanted to see those eyes flashing at him again… but again, he was disappointed.

Her head lolled sideways on the cushion so that her glance was turned his way. His joke about Yugi's height seemed to hang in the air, ignored. "I know Yugi thinks he has feelings for me, but it's just puppy love. Why doesn't anybody ever wonder about what _I_ want?"

There are some conversational traps that are unavoidable even for someone as intelligent as Seto Kaiba. He was about to fall straight into one of them. "Oh? And what is it that _you_ want, Mazaki?"

**xxxxx**

She stared at him, rather shocked. It wasn't simply the question he had asked; it was a combination of everything that had happened tonight. The attack, the fact that she had invited him here, and now this. Were the poles reversing or something? The world definitely wasn't normal when Seto Kaiba started asking questions about her love life. With this total disintegration of rational behavior, what else could she do but answer?

Giving a small smile, her expression became thoughtful. She could see that he was regarding her with some amount of trepidation. "What do I want? I don't know if it's so simple that I can put it into words…"

"Well _that's_ nothing new for you."

She glared at him.

"Sorry, I couldn't help it. You're such an easy target." He clasped his hands and propped them behind his head, affecting a relaxed pose. His long limbs looked a bit incongruous gracing her battered leather armchair, but he certainly looked comfortable enough. Having Kaiba here made her feel strange. His questions were unintentionally incisive, and she wasn't sure she wanted to face up to some of the answers...

…like the fact that he fit pretty squarely into several of the categories of 'things she wanted'.

It wasn't like she was… _interested_ in him. Not precisely. It was more about the way he sometimes made her _feel_. She enjoyed the stinging barbs he had always thrown her way, because she liked the challenge of retorting. And as anyone who had ever been pinned by that steely cold ocean gaze knew, Kaiba certainly had a way of making you feel like you were the only person in the room. Plus, that sweater clung so enticingly to his body… no, she wasn't even going to go _there_. What was the word she was looking for that would sum all of this up?

"…Passion. I guess that's the simplest way to describe it."

He raised an eyebrow, and she could see that the corner of his mouth had quirked in an almost-smile. "Been reading too many romance novels, Mazaki?"

Rolling her eyes, she deflected his attempt to infuriate her. "Nothing like that, Kaiba. I just… don't want to be treated so delicately all the time, I guess. Sometimes I feel like people look at me, especially men, like I can't do anything on my own. Yugi is a wonderful friend, but he sometimes makes me feel that way the most out of anyone. I know he just wants to protect me, but sometimes I wish he would at least let us have a disagreement or two."

Seto had given up on having a normal day long ago, but was still perplexed by the turn this conversation had taken. "Hn. Oh yes. Because arguing is such a good indicator of compatibility. You might as well just say that we should start dating each other." He let out a noise somewhere between a scoff and a laugh, ignoring the strands of dark hair as they fell across one of his eyes.

"I just mean that I want to be with someone who will challenge me and treat me like an independent person. I can think for myself, you know." She only just managed to hide the blush that rose up when he mentioned the idea of them dating.

One of his legs draped itself across the arm of the chair. He was drifting into more and more of a comfortable position, looking quite innocuous. "Yes, I know. Most of your thoughts seem to fly right out of your mouth before being filtered through common sense. And your wanderings in Domino back alleys are certainly the mark of a genius at work…"

He hadn't meant to cause the pain that coursed through her expression at the mention of what had transpired earlier. He knew it wasn't her fault that she was attacked, but he had made it sound that way. "Sorry. That was uncalled for."

"Making your own mistakes is part of life, I guess." She stretched her arms above her head and rolled her head in a languorous circle. "Don't get me wrong. I was _terrified_. But once you were there, it was all okay somehow. They couldn't hurt me anymore." Viewing him thoughtfully, she continued. "I wasn't alone anymore. So it was okay."

"I thought you said you wanted to be independent." He tried not to think about the implications of what she had just said. She was _comforted_ by his presence?

"There's a difference between being independent and being alone."

"And you don't want to be alone? Is that what you're saying?" His eyelids were starting to feel heavy with sleep, but she had lulled him into a trance. He hadn't taken his eyes off of her for some time now, and thought she was holding up quite well under the pressure of his gaze.

Or was it the other way around? Anzu's eyes were crystal clear and plaintive. There was so much honesty radiating from that gaze that even the great Seto Kaiba felt a little hot around the collar. "Does anyone?" She searched his face, wondering what was behind the drowsy and unguarded expression he was wearing. He leaned one side of his face into his hand, resting an elbow on the arm of his chair. "I've always kind of wondered, Kaiba. I know you have Mokuba, but… I mean, don't you get lonely sometimes?"

He snickered somewhat petulantly, breaking eye contact. "Lonely? How could I ever be lonely when I'm constantly surrounded by idiots every day?"

Anzu noticed that his eyes didn't correspond with even the moderately unenthusiastic bravado of his response. They were absent, midnight blue with barely noticeable gloomy grey flecks. He almost seemed to be staring a hole through the floor, not looking at her as though ignoring her questioning gaze would make the heavy anticipation in the air go away.

His blatant non-answer _was_ loneliness. And the fact that he was allowing her to see it must be somehow significant. In this night of strange happenings and even stranger dialogues, neither of them had enough energy left to bother with pretense. She was transfixed by the authenticity and weight of his careworn expression. He was too disconcerted and exhausted by their experiences to bother putting up his usual façade. The only question now was, what was going to happen when this bizarre and candid bubble around them burst? The perilous borderline of dawn lurked in the nearer distance...

**xxxxx**

**xxxxx**

There. As you can see, these guys still won't cooperate and just get the hots for each other (although I think they secretly have a mutual attraction already)! They're too emotionally and physically exhausted, but hopefully we can rectify this problem in the next chapter. I hope you guys didn't find this too boring, it's somewhat expository, but I enjoy writing them when they're waging this sort of psychological warfare on each other. What can I say- I'm a glutton for punishment! (sigh) They'll thank me in the end. Reviews will be turned into a yummy stir fry. You don't want me to be hungry, do you? ;)


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